Article pack



Nov. 13, 1951 E. L. SHEPARD 2,575,192

ARTICLE PACK Filed Feb. 9, 1948 INVENTOR. ERNEST L. SHEPARD PatentedNov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE BACK Ernest L.Shepard, Fairfield, Maine, assignor, by mesne assignments, to .The.Canal National Bank of Portland; and William B. Nulty, trustees, both ofPortland, Maine Application February 9, 1948-, Serial No. 7,069

2 Claims. (01. 22;9- -.2.5)

Thisinventionrelates to carton structures for thepackaging, shipment anddisplay of fragile articles, and has for its main object to providealstructure which will effectively protect the articles packed thereinagainst breakage; which can readily be folded upon itself into a compactunit which will occupy the minimum shipping and/or storage space;. andwhich can be easily tornapart along its fold section to provide twoindividual carton units which can be used for take-home delivery of:alesser numberof articles than the original article complement of the.carton,

Other objects and advantages, of my improved carton structurewill appearas this description proceeds. j

Inattaining my objects, Iprovide :a carton structurecomprising at leasttwo individual carton units, each consistingof a. pocket sectionandalcover section hinged to each other along their adjacent longitudinaledges to overfold and form aclosed pack. The carton units are alsohinged t0.- each other along their adjacent transverse edges-by a hingeconnection which is of a length sufficient to permit one, unit to befolded over upon the other with the pockets of said units closelynesting with each, other in acompact, space-saving manner. When thecarton units are to be separated from one another, this hinge connectionserves as a convenient tear-section along which the original carton maybe broken apartso that the individual carton unitsmay be used fortake-home delivery of a lesser number of; articles than the originalarticle complement of the carton.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown a preferred embodimentof my invention. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my novel carton Structurewhen open.

Fig. 2 is a front edge view thereof, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3of Fig. 1, and, t

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing howi my. carton structurevmay. beoverfolded upon itself to provide a compactlshipping container.

For the purposes, of thisapplication I shall show and describe acartonstructure particularly adapted for the packaging and display ofincandescent bulbs. It will be understood-.zhowever, that suchdisclosure is illustrative only, and that the principles of my inventionare applicable to the packaging of a wide variety of other articles, andparticularly of frusto-conical or frusto-pyramidal shape, such as radiotubes, flash light bulbs, lamp chimneys and the like.

Likewise, for the purposes of this application; I shall show anddescribe a carton structure designed to carry four articles arranged intwo groups of two articles each, said groupsbeing foldably connected toeach other along their ad: jacent transverse edges by a fold sectionwhich when torn. apart converts the carton structure into two equalsized carton units or secondary cartons. It will be understood however.that the carton structure may contain a greater or lesser number ofarticle pockets and may bedesigned to tear apart intocarton units,which, are either equal or unequal in size or'for tearing apartalong.more thanone tear line. to provide carton. units containing, anydesired number or combination of numbers ofarticle pockets.

Myv carton structure. is preferably made of molded pulp and as hereshown consists .of; two carton units. Aand B which are spacedapart fromeach other a substantial distancev and fold.- ably connected along theiradjacent transverse edges by a hinge section C of sufficient length topermit said units to be overfolded upon one another to provide. thecompact, closely nesting, shipping and storage container shown in Fig.4.

Each carton unit, as molded, consists of a pocket section It! and acover section H which are coextensive witheach other and are hingedlyconnected to one another at their adjacent longitudinal edges tooverfoldupon one another along the indicated lines of fold [2. The pocketsections are in longitudinal alignment, and the cover sections are inlongitudinal alignment.

The hinge connection C which foldably connects the units A and B to oneanotherat their adjacent transverseedges preferably consists of a pairof strap-like members l3 and M of substantial width and length. Thestrap member l4 lies substantially in the plane of the adjacenttransverse edges of the pocket sections and is long enough to extendbetween the pocket sections when the carton units are overfolded withthe bottoms of the pocket sections in juxtaposition; The strap member I3is longer than member l4, and has a developed length as moldedsufficient to extend between the cover sections I I when the cartonunits are overfolded. These may beof any suitable material but arepreferably integral parts of the pulp sheet'from which the units A and Bare molded.

As a result of this construction, the pocket and cover sections I0 andof the respective units A and B may be overfolded along thelongitudinally aligned fold lines l2 to provide a closed carton or packfor the articles, which pack may be locked closed by any suitablefastening means (not shown) and the filled units A and B may beoverfolded upon one another along the hinge connection C into thestacked and nested relationship shown in Fig. 4, wherein it will beobserved that the pocket sections are complementary, and the outersurfaces of the cover sections are substantially parallel. made of alesser number of articles than the full article complement of thecarton, as where two articles are sold, the units A and B may beseparated from one another by tearing off the hinge When a sale is.

connection C and one or the other of the units contoured to provideindividual pockets (here shown as two in number) of the proper size,depth and shape to accommodate the articles to be packedtherein. Wherethe articles are incandescent bulbs, or like articles of frustoconicalor frusto-pyramidal shape, the pockets are of a depth to accommodateapproximately the lower halves of the bulbs and are arranged side byside lengthwise of said section with their major axes disposedtransversely of the sheet and with the reduced neck portion of onepocket disposed opposite to the enlarged rounded portion l6 of anadjacent pocket so as to reduce to the minimum the space required forpacking the bulbs.

Adjacent the neck portion of each pocket the sheet is preferablyprovided with a pair of spaced oppositely disposed upstanding hollowformations ll which assist in restraining the bulbs against sidewisemovement within the pockets. Preferably also the neck portions of thepockets are intersected by longitudinally extending hollow stiffeningribs l8.

Each cover section II of each unit A or B is tray-like in cross section,consisting of a substantially flat bottom wall l9 and an enclosingupwardly sloping wall of a height sufiicient to provide a compartment ofthe required depth to enclose the upper 'halves of the articles seatedin the pockets of the complemental pocket section In when the carton isclosed.

If desired the enclosing walls of the cover sections 1 l of the units Aand B may be provided with one or more hollow stiffening ribs 2!.

It will be noted that when the carton units are closed and overfoldedone upon the other (see Fig. 4) the pocket-formations of their pocketsections are complementary and closely nest with each other. I It willalso be noted that the outer surfaces of the bottom walls 19 of thecover sections H furnish substantially flat surfaces well adapted toreceive printing.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it will be evident that I have provided a carton structurewithin which a predetermined complement of bulbs or other fragilearticles may be safely packed and shipped; that said structure may beoverfolded upon itself to occupy the minimum shipping and/or storagespace; and that when a sale is made of a smaller number of articles thanthe full article complement, the structure may be readily converted intotwo secondary units A and B of lesser capacity for take-home delivery bysimply tearing off the hinge connection C.

Various modifications in the design shown may be made within the spiritand scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: l. A foldable and tearable article pack of molded pulpcomprising a pair of spaced carton units each of which has a pocketsection and a cover section, said pocket sections being in iongitudinalalignment and said cover sections being in longitudinal alignment, saidpocket sections 'being hingedly connected to their respective coversections. along fold lines which are in longitudinal alignment, saidpocket sections being connected along their adjacent transverse edges bya strap member of substantial width lying substantially in the plane ofsaid transverse edges and of a length sufficient to extend between thepocket sections when the carton units are overfolded with the bottoms ofthe pocket sections in juxtaposition, said cover sections beingconnected along their adjacent transverse edges by a strap member ofsubstantial width and of a developed length as molded greater thanthatof the strap member connecting the pocket sections and sufficient toextend between the cover sections when the carton units are overfolded.

2. A foldable and tearable article packsof molded pulp comprising a pairof spaced carton units each of which has a pocket section con-' touredto provide individual pockets and .a traylike cover section, said pocketsections being in longitudinal alignment and said cover sections beingin longitudinal alignment, said pocket sections being hingedly connectedto their respective cover sections along fold lines which are inlongitudinal alignment, said pocket sections being connected along theiradjacent transverse edges by a strap member of substantial width lyingsubstantially in the plane of said transverse edges and of a lengthsufficient to extend between the pocket sections when the carton unitsare overfolded with the bottoms of the pocket sections in juxtaposition,said cover sections being connected along their adjacent transverseedges by a strap member of substantial width and of a developed lengthas molded greater than that of the strap member connecting the pocketsections and sufiicient to extend between the cover sections when thecarton units are overfolded, said carton units being shaped so that whenthe carton units are overfolded, the pocket sections are complementaryand the outer surfaces of the cover sections are substantially parallel.

ERNEST L; SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references'are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Randall Oct. 7, 1947

